


Call It A Reset

by Cryptvokeeper, Kateinator



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Derse/Prospit Royalty, Author accidentally ripping off RvB season 12, Gen, Medievalstuck, My First AO3 Post, NO ONE KNOWS, basically everything's gone to hell in a handbasket, how does this even happen, i apologise in advance, oh dear god kill me now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2015-02-21
Packaged: 2018-02-11 10:43:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2065068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cryptvokeeper/pseuds/Cryptvokeeper, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kateinator/pseuds/Kateinator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The twin kingdoms of Derse and Prospit have hated each other for centuries. But now, a new, deadly force waits in the shadows.<br/>In Other Words, We Work To Stop A Tyriant. Pun Intended.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Turn Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doomed timelines and what ifs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we start this off with a doomed timeline

A girl dashed down the golden halls of prospit, cursing up a storm and blowing up wind as she went. I will not lie, this girl is somewhat important. Even more important are the decisions she makes today, which will shape the fate of her and many other children like her. The choice she is forced to make May be insignificant, but like the first domino in a line, it will spark something much greater.

'Stupid, stupid, idiot!' Lauren raged as she sprinted through the halls of the prospitian castle. Today was a the beginning of her training as a muse, and OF COURSE she woke up late. She had to get to Calliope's (the muse of space, to most commoners) temple in the next ten minutes or she was dead meat. Lauren dodged carapacians and left and right, sending papers & silly hats flying. She darted around a corner and headed towards a fork in the hall, with three ways she could go. Well, two really. The middle hallway led to the throne room, where the human royals resided. And it wasn't that she didn't like the royals either, far from it in fact! She and the heir to the throne shared an aspect, which put her in his favor and he on her (admittedly short) list of people she considered her friend (he made her laugh). There was also a lord who, when he wasn't tailing behind the Royal Troll Family of Makara, was able to hold an interesting conversation with her that never failed to put her in a happy mood. Lauren wished she could stop and talk today more than ever, but like she said, she was late. And now she had to decide what route would take her to the temple by yesterday.

On her left was the servant's quarters. She could take that and cut into the servant's hallways. Those led many places, including the market. From there, it was a straight shot to the temple. There would be a plenty of servants in those halls, and some may question what she was doing there. She looked nothing like a servant in her muse dress, she couldn't even try to act like one. Lauren had a friend who was a maid, maybe she could cover for her, but that would involve tracking her down and convincing her to assist.

To the right was a door leading to the sylphs' quarters. Lauren didn't go that way too often, but she knew that there was a Sylph of Space who frequently visited the temple because of their shared aspect and similar classes. The Sylph (Kayna? Kanyay?) had a way of getting there that was quick, efficient, and almost guaranteed to get her to the temple on time. However Lauren wasn't even remotely friendly with either if the two sylphs and was sure she'd be in trouble if she got caught. Still, if it could get her there on time, maybe even early...

Her mind was made up. Lauren pushed the door to the sylph's quarters open and ran down the hall, praying she wouldn't get caught.

\-------

Kate slumped against the wall and slid to the floor with a huff. She was supposed to be learning how to be a Sylph of Blood, but her instructor was nowhere to be found. Was she purposely ignoring her because she was a Dersite? That'd be pretty shitty if it were true. Actually that'd be complete bullshit. She worked hard to get this far, and Kate would've gladly continued her training at home if only there were any Sylph's there. Derse had very few Sylphs in it's history. Not that anyone cared. Fighters were preferred over healers there. Of course that's what made it all the more important that she get a proper teacher to master her healing powers. As a Sylph of Blood, she'd be able to heal the gashes or stabs derse's soldiers received in battle almost instantaneously. Why else would she be permitted to learn from Prospit, of all places? Those nasty, stuck-up-

Kate's thoughts were interrupted by something running into her leg and falling right into her lap. (Well, into her legs, but same difference)

"Hey!" Kate snapped as the figure on top if her let out an "Owwwww" it appeared to be a human girl, wearing the colors of the Breath aspect and an outfit she didn't recognize.

"Can you watch where you're running?"

The girl shifted off her legs and into a kneeling position. "Huh?" She mumbled, rubbing her head. Kate had a feeling that she was gonna have a big bump later. The the girl's eyes got huge. "Shit!" She cried and scrambled to her feet. "I'm so so sorry." She said hurriedly. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" She seemed to be genuinely concerned, which took Kate by surprise. "Uh, yeah." she said slowly, "I'm fine." The girl's face shifted to a look of relief, but then back to panic. She let out another curse and looked around frantically. "Listen, I really have to go now, I'm in a bit of a hurry. But I really am sorry.." She paused "sorry, what's your name?"

"Kate." She said, giving the windy girl a smile. She returned it and nodded. "Lauren. Alright, see ya!" Lauren dashed off, leaving a gust of wind in her wake. She had disappeared around a corner and Kate figured that would be the last time she ever saw the girl, but Lauren popped her head back around the corner. "Hey!" She called, "will you still be here when lessons are over?" Kate considered it. She had planned on returning to her temporary quarters, she wasn't even going to bother swinging by the kitchens to grab something to eat like most students. But if she had someone to go with... "Yeah!" She called back. Lauren grinned and called back, "cool!" Before vanishing again. Kate smiled. She was an interesting one. You know, for a Prospitian.

\---

The scene rippled and vanished from the bubbling cauldron of the witch of time. She was a maroon-blooded troll. With curled candy-corn horns and black hair in a messy bun. "これは彼女の高貴な魚の雌犬と私の助けを必要とは何ですか？" she muttered unhappily. The '魚の雌犬' was the Black Queen of the Carapacians. Known to a select few as Her Imperious Condescension. She stood over the witch of time, known as Damara, with a frown. She was very tall, only made taller by her long horns, and had long curly hair. "Make no mistake, guppy." She said coolly. "This moment could alter the entire war. I wouldn't be botherin' with your help if it didn't. The witch scowled.

"と私の支払い？"

The queen removed a fairly large sack from her sylladex and placed it on the table beside the cauldron. Damara opened it. Inside were countless jewels, boondollars, and hundreds of the purple beetles used as Trollian currency. Any Dersite in their right mind would take payment such as this with great thanks. But the witch only scowled deeper and pushed the sack aside, spilling boondollars and beetles everywhere.

"不正な," she insisted, "私は息の不正をしたい!"

The Queen smirked and patted Damara's head childishly. "When this is all over," she said in a sickeningly sweet voice, "you'll have your rogue. Now, you know what needs to be done?"

Damara nodded sullenly and stepped back from the Condescension. She began chanting under her breath. Clockwork gears began appearing around her. They began to fit together and turn, and when the last one popped into place they whirred so fast that in her place was nothing but a red blur. There was a flash of light and when it faded, Damara was gone. The Black Queen smirked. "Your kingdom thanks you for your service." She whispered. And left the room.

\---

'Stupid, stupid, idiot!' Lauren raged as she sprinted through the halls of the prospitian castle. Today was a the beginning of her training as a muse, and OF COURSE she woke up late. She had to get to Calliope's (the muse of space, to most commoners) temple in the next ten minutes or she was dead meat. Lauren dodged carapacians and left and right, sending papers & silly hats flying. She darted around a corner and headed towards a fork in the hall, with three ways she could go. Well, two really. The middle hallway led to the throne room, where the human royals resided. And it wasn't that she didn't like the royals either, far from it in fact! She and the heir to the throne shared an aspect, which put her in his favor and he on her (admittedly short) list of people she considered her friend (he made her laugh). There was also a lord who, when he wasn't tailing behind the Royal Troll Family of Makara, was able to hold an interesting conversation with her that never failed to put her in a happy mood. Lauren wished she could stop and talk today more than ever, but like she said, she was late. And now she had to decide what route would take her to the temple by yesterday.

On her left was the servant's quarters. She could take that and cut into the servant's hallways. Those led many places, including the market. From there, it was a straight shot to the temple. There would be a plenty of servants in those halls, and some my question what she was doing there. She looked nothing like a servant in her muse dress, she couldn't even try to act like one. Lauren had a friend who was a maid, maybe she could cover for her, but that would involve tracking her down and convincing her to assist.

To the right was a door leading to the sylphs' quarters. Lauren didn't go that way too often, but she knew that there was a Sylph of Space who frequently visited the temple because of their shared aspect and similar classes. The Sylph (Kayna? Kanyay?) had a way of getting there that was quick, efficient, and almost guaranteed to get her to the temple on time. However Lauren wasn't even remotely friendly with either if the two sylphs and was sure she'd be in trouble if she got caught.

Lauren made her decision. She turned left and dashed through the open servants door. She made it down the hallway and into the sunny prospitian market without a hitch. No one had stopped her, she hadn't even seen any servants. Maybe this should've worried her, she didn't have time right now to think about it. Maybe later she'd be filled with an uneasy feeling, as if she'd done something wrong, but she'd chalk it up as anxiety from her first day as lesson. And maybe later a Dersite girl would be lying on her bed, a sinking feeling in her gut. But that was all later. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and the only bad feelings were far away, simultaneously in the guts of the three Dersite time players who knew something had just shifted the course of fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> translations (sorta- you can probably guess what they mean): 
> 
> "This is What is the need of my help and bitch of her royal fish? 'Fish of a bitch'
> 
> "And my payment?"
> 
> "The illegal, I want a rogue of breath!"


	2. Thieves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a certain thief has a good day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED. WOOT. THIS IS WAY BETTER

Daniel tugged his forest green hood over his head, waiting for his chance to strike his target. sure, it may only be a fruit stand, but it was only Step One in his plans for the day. a smirk crossed his lips as he leapt forward, reaching for a few apples, when suddenly:

“STOP! THIEF!”

well shit. Dan studied the approaching patrol of guards for a moment, before turning on his heel and sprinting away, bag thudding against his side. He dodged one burly guard and sidestepped another, skidding and sprinting past them. hopefully, they wouldn’t make a scene right in the middle of a crowded-

 _click._ a strife specibus pinged behind him.

-marketplace. Dan cursed, praying to the Muse that he wouldn’t get skewered by an arrow. It would be the second time in six months. Kate would kick his ass. Grabbing the corner as he turned, he fled into an alleyway, reaching for handholds as he clambered up the wall. an arrow skimmed his forearm, and he let out a yelp, moving even faster. with a final heave, he slung himself over the edge of the building, chest heaving. after a moment, he heard the clatter of armor and grinned to himself. He leaned over the edge, careful to keep his head out of anyone’s view. “Listen!” one guard called, “We know you’re up there.”

“that’s great! absolutely wonderful! I don’t care.” he yelled back. he watched one sentry swing his arm up, and ducked back. there was a thunk and the sound of crumbling brick as the arrow embedded itself into the building, and Daniel decided that leaving at this time was probably a good idea.

he rolled, pushed himself off the ground, and scurried across the rooftops. he had some royal goods to steal.

\-----

after half an hour of wandering about, annoying guards, pickpocketing, and generally trying to get on the nerves of any higher authority, he arrived at Castle Prospit. He stood at the front gate, admiring the view. Castle derse was nice, yeah, but this.

the entire building seemed to be covered in pure gold.

as he walked, he kept his head down, hands in his pockets, trying not to draw attention to himself. he already had bad enough luck with getting caught, or at least nearly getting caught. he didn’t want to screw up such a big heist by catching the eye of some idiotic Prospitian.

after a minute of carefully strategised wandering, he strode forward, head up, towards the gate. Two burly trolls stood in his path as he tried to enter the gate. "State your name and business." One ordered.

Daniel grinned. "Damien Retreg,” he lied easily, “I heard something about job openings and decided to try my luck." He folded his arms behind his back and tried to look innocent as the the guards stared at him for a second, silently praying that they couldn't read minds.

Finally, one guard nodded, stepping back and allowing the shorter male to pass. Dan ducked under the spear, turning and walking backwards, saluting them jovially. "Thank you!" He yelled at their backs. Neither of them acknowledged his call.

\-----

As soon as he entered the bustling halls, he pulled his hood back over his head, obscuring his face. He ducked down a passageway, bumping into a short carapician. He tapped its shoulder as it brushed itself off. "Excuse me, would you be kind enough to point me to the laundry room? I kinda got a little turned around." The carapician nodded and grabbed his hand, dragging him behind it. The carapician dropped him in front of a door, gave him a thumbs up, and scampered off. Dan shoved the heavy door open, and ducked into the room.

Apparently, everyone in here was about the size of his sister. He ducked under a low hanging beam, feet slipping on the slick floor. A few servants were scuttling around, carrying stacks of towels, shirts, hats, and the other million and one things that had to be cleaned in a castle. Before anyone could notice him, he ducked under a towering stack of pants. Carefully, he rifled through the pile of clothes, looking to find something that fit.

Ten minutes and one clothing change later, Dan was running out of the room, the image of a panicked lackey. he ran through the kitchens, dodging flying cookware and yells, before ducking into a servant’s passage. In there, he slowed, his chest heaving. Hr walked, rifling in his bag as he moved, pulling out a rolled sheet of paper. the edges flaked as he unrolled it, and he scanned the contents. “okay, two doorways, then a right, then forty more steps until I reach that doorway, then the door after that is locked, and it’s the one I want.” he mumbled to himself. with that, he looked up, rerolled the old map, and headed forward.

\-----

He arrived at the door without any interruption, thankfully. Dan knelt in front of the lock, a lockpick in hand, fiddling with it as fast as he could. with a click, the lock disengaged, and he smirked. only one petty lock between him and the Royal Jewelry? pathetic. and not even good pathetic. he heaved the door open. Great, another cramped room. He wove around crowded tables, scooping up raw gems, precious metals, stuff that would take him a thousand lifetimes to acquire legally, and stuffed them in his bag. he studied an ornately carved flask, capped with a gem encrusted stopper, and wrapped it in overly expensive silk. good present for Kate, maybe. or he could sell it. finally, he made it to the large, sturdy safe in the back of the room.

Supposedly, when Castle Prospit was first built, this had been placed by hand in the center by the current human ruler’s ancestor, some guy named Sassacre or something. Dan thought it was bullshit. No man could pick up this giant ass thing. but hey, you never knew. he shuffled through his bag again, pulling out a carved stone. He’d heard about creepy enchantments on this safe, and he knew there was a powerful witch in the royal family. he wasn’t going to take any risks. he also knew that he had absolutely no idea how to break the spells. thus, the stone. the guy he’d bought it from said that as long as it was touching the safe, the curses would be blocked.

he set the stone on top of the safe and got to work.

it took him ten minutes to unlock the safe. they all passed in a blur as he hyperfocused on the scrape of metal against metal, and click and twist of tumblers unlocking. once he finally twisted the giant combination lock, there was the grinding of gears and the door of the safe opened with a groan.

there, sitting on soft cushions, were the Royal Crowns of Prospit. Gleaming gold and silver, encrusted with bright, beautiful gems, carved with delicate filigree, they were only ever worn during weddings and coronations. there were very few people who had ever touched them who were still living.

Dan grabbed them both. he shoved them into his bag, stood up, and ran out.

\-----

he wandered around the castle for a while, grinning like an idiot. he couldn’t think of the last time anyone had ever done something on a scale as this. He had successfully stolen the Royal fucking Crowns of Prospit. Something practically no one had ever one before. Goddamn he wanted to gloat. But he knew that doing anything of the sort would only lead to his neck in a noose. And as much as he hated his life, he'd much rather it keep existing.

He was yanked from his thoughts by a sprinting page mashing, looking terrified. Dan grabbed him and spun him around, planting his hands on his shoulders. "What's going on? Are you alright?" He asked. The page shook his head breathlessly. "Th- the Royal Crowns, they've-" he stopped, heaved in a breath, and said, "they've gone missing!"

Dan raised an eyebrow, the picture of concern. "Oh, fuck. That's bad. Run. Go tell someone. This is a problem." Nodding frantically, the page sprinted past him, running and duck through the crowd. Daniel watched him go, a small smile creeping past his lips. With that, he turned, clutching his bag tighter to his chest.

Ten minutes later, he closed and locked the safe door, grinning. The plan had always been to return the crowns, of course. That would be suicide, and honestly, a Dersite found with those crowns could incite a war. And anyway, what was he going to do, sell them? Crowns that ostentatious would be accused of as fakes, he wouldn't get a Caegar out of them. He stood up and brushed off his shirt, walking past several guards rushing into the room. They turns to stare at him, and he simply have them a casual salute, before turning and dashing down the hall.

It was only noon, and his day wasn’t even close to done.


	3. The Trial and Execution of Karkat Vantas, Part One: The Arrest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> actual plot showing up. holy shit. this is part one of three or so. 
> 
> the bold and italicised writing is Kurloz using his chucklevoodoos.

“how the fuck did someone get into the Royal Jeweler’s in the middle of the fucking day!?!” Karkat yelled at his subordinates. he was pacing back and forth in front of said subordinates, ranting. this was not unusual. Karkat was usually yelling at someone. however, today was one of the days that the yelling was necessary. it had been his group who had been on guard when someone had _apparently fucking gotten into the Royal fucking Jeweler’s and stolen one of the Royal crowns of Prospit._

_in the middle of the fucking day._

what was worse was they’d nearly caught the guy. he’d slipped out of their fingers, climbing up a wall or twelve and disappearing.

so Karkat was understandably furious.

“and what’s worse is none of you have the fucking guts to report it to anyone, you dipshits!” he roared. finally, he took a deep breath, and sighed. “now I’m going to have to clean up your mess. dis-fucking-missed.” he snapped at them, and they scattered like squeakbeasts. with that, he stomped off to speak with Kurloz. well, not speak with him, necessarily, more like talk at him until he creeps Karkat out enough for him to leave.

he left the room with a snarl.

as soon as he entered the hallway, he was nearly knocked over by a passing carapician servant. Karkat swore as the carapician helped him up, signaling an apology to him as he shrugged them off. “fuck, it’s fine, just... go.” he muttered pushing at them. with that, he straightened and headed to Kurloz’s office.

It was bright and airy, filled with every color of the rainbow. banners with their symbol lines the walls. the Makaras were known to be followers of the Mirthful Messiahs, as well as students of the Aspect of Rage. as he entered, Karkat realised it was empty, which was a relief. he wasn’t interrupting anything.  as he leaned against the desk, waiting, he studied the documents. there seemed to be nothing new. reports from the edges of the kingdom, communication from Derse- probably some bullshit gesture of peace- and a few letters from the Heir, John.

Karkat’s lips twitched when he thought of the rather flighty Heir. he was irritating, constantly blowing the wind at Karkat whenever he was _supposed_ to be on duty, pranking him, and just generally trying to piss him off. still, he considered the Heir an acquaintance, if not a friend.

his hand brushed against the desk, sending a few papers flying. with a mumbled, “son of a fuck,” he leapt for them, scooping them up and hopefully placing them back in the same order they’d been before.

an unfamiliar sigil caught his eye.

most citizens of both Prospit and Derse had their own sigil, or at least one that represented the entire line. Karkat’s own was shared by his older brother, Kankri. carapicians, on the other hand, received two letters, which became their initials for various titles for the rest of their lives. this symbol, however, he’d never seen before.

♓

as he flipped through the pages, his eyes widened as he realised what exactly Kurloz was planning with these documents.

he was planning to sell Prospit out to Dersite royalty, specifically someone only known as “)(IC”. in return, he would receive amnesty and protection, as well as the ability to keep ruling Prospit under )(IC.

Karkat kept reading, equal parts fascinated and horrified with what was planned for the kingdom. his kingdom. he was so absorbed in the paperwork, he almost didn’t hear the door open. his head whipped up, and he flinched away from the desk, face burning. “I- I didn’t hear you come in.” he stammered out. Kurloz nodded, and his eyes took on an eerie glow.

_**Now, what’s gone and troubled you, brother?** _

 

the thoughts filtered into his head like fingers through sand. “no-nothing. we- I mean I came into report that unfortunately, we lost one of Pros-”

the two were interrupted by a passing page. “Sir Karkat, one of your officers wanted me to notify you that the crown has been found. it appears that it hasn’t even left the room, in fact.” the page said. Karkat’s brow furrowed. “you gotta be fucking kidding me.” he muttered, and turned to Kurloz. “never mind, sir, I apologise for taking up your time.” Kurloz tilted his head, as if to say, no problem, and Karkat rushed out of the room.

Kurloz watched the retreating figure, waiting until he had left the room before moving to his desk. he calmly flipped through the papers, noting exactly what was disturbed. his stitched smile twitched upwards as he realised what Karkat had seen, masking the Rage roiling in his chest. _seems like someone’s figured out our plan,_  he thought to himself, _but I think I got a good way to get rid of the little blasphemer._ Kurloz’s smile widened _. howsabout we get our trickery on?_

 ~~~~~~

two days passed. nothing. Karkat spent the time on duty, training new recruits, avoiding getting stabbed in the ass by Tavros’ lance (“didn’t you learn how to keep that fucking thing level? Jegus...”) and trying to avoid Gamzee.

Gamzee was the younger brother to Kurloz, and seemed to have latched onto him in some way. he was constantly following him around, a horn or some musical instrument in hand, lazy grin on his face. he called Karkat his “best motherfucking friend” often and wouldn’t leave him the fuck alone. the bard infuriated Karkat, but he tolerated it. probably a good idea to keep on good terms with someone in the Royal family.

He watched the clown out of the corner of one eye as he trained with a new recruit. the skinny troll, a blueblood with sharpened horns, was darting in and out with her daggers, while Karkat could easily block them with his own sickles. he snapped advice at the recruit, watching as she got more and more frustrated. with a final grunt, she hurled the knives at him, while Karkat easily sidestepped. he was her throat in seconds.

“little advice: don’t fucking throw your weapons when you’re in the middle of battle. it’s fucking pointless. now you have no weapon and a very angry enemy.” he pulled back and let her get up. “now, retrieve your weapons and get back to sparring.” he ordered. the recruit let out a grumble and yanked her weapons out of the wall, shoving past Gamzee to do so. suddenly, a part of the wall, already weak and old, began to crumble, aiming directly for oblivious troll. Karkat ran forward, yanking him out of the way, the old bricks nearly slamming into his arm. had Gamzee been standing there a second before, his skull would’ve been bashed in.

“fucking idiot,” Karkat snapped at him. “Pay attention to shit. it’s a surprise you’re even still alive!” Gamzee blinked like he was finally coming back from whatever cloud he’s been floating on. “shit, Karbro, what’s goin’ on?” Karkat facepalmed, before speaking slowly. “you nearly. fucking. died. it’s a miracle that you’re actually still alive.” he repeated. Gamzee’s face split into a wide smile. “you saved my life?”

“yes. I did.”

“well, I thank you. remind this motherfuckin’ clown that he owes you his life and shit.”

“wait, what? no, I-"

"No no no, bro. Say no more. I owe you this."

Karkat stared at him, before realising that was exactly what everyone else was doing. "Class dismissed!" He barked, before turning to leave.

Two guards were standing in front of his door when he reached his room. "What's wrong? What happened?" He asked them, mind immediately racing. One of the guards stepped forward and reached for his hands. "You are under arrest for high treason against the crown of Prospit." Karkat gaped at them, pulling away. "What the fuck!?" He yelled. "Who the hell is accusing me of treason?!" The guard grimaced and held out a small letter.

Karkat ripped from his hands and scanned it. "The prince? I did nothing wrong! This is bullshit!" He snarled. The other guards snapped, "you were found with incriminating documents in your room." They held out a sheaf of document in front of him. He flipped through those as well.

When he looked up, he was furious. "Look, these were forged, they're not mine, I'm being framed you have to believe me!"

They ignored him, shackling his wrists and dragging him through the castle halls. he could feel the gazes of the castle’s inhabitants on him, but he refused to make eye contact with anyone. once they’d left the public eye, the two guards grabbed him roughly by the collar and dragging him by it, before roughly tossing him into a cell. “your trial will be tomorrow.” one called over his shoulder, and the door of the prison shut with a rumbling thump, shrouding him in darkness.

 **  
**Karkat sat, leaning against the wall, for the night, waiting for his trial to come


	4. The Trial and Execution of Karkat Vantas, Part two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the actual trial going down. written by Kate. this WILL be edited and added to later, it's just not finished yet

Terezi Pyrope was the law. Or at least, half of it. She was one of the most powerful Seers in the kingdom, a fact only aided by her chosen Aspect, Mind. Her only associate, Kankri, was a bit of a blowhard, and maybe a little arrogant, but okay yeah he was kind of a dick a lot of the time. However, the two were brilliant, working together as judges for the Prospitian crown. They had never seen- or smelled, in Terezi's case- a single case that they could not handle.

Kankri had been the one to receive the document, bringing it to the small office/respite block they spent most of their time in. he’d scanned the newest one, then mutely handed the information and evidence to her. That had been strange. Usually, you couldn't shut him up. Initially, she'd cackled, letting out a "who is the disgusting crook we shall see punished today, General Cherrycheeks?!?!" before taking a long sniff of the papers. She'd frozen in surprise.

According to the documents and evidence, Karkat Vantas, knight and Kankri’s brother, was being accused of treason.

Terezi inhaled the documents, sniffing every inch of them. meanwhile, Kankri started ranting.

“I find it highly improbable that Karkat would have done such a thing. despite his supposed dislike for our home, he would not sell out for a highblood- forgive me, I mean a coolerblooded individual- as these documents state. however, these documents are rather incriminating, and unfortunately my Vision has been clouded.” he stopped, glancing at Terezi, before continuing with “I apologise Terezi, I spoke out of turn, and I hope that my discussion of my lack of metaphorical Sight did not offend you or trigger you in some way. I should have been able to think before I spoke, barring that-”

“Kankri, shut the fuck up for a second and look at this.”

Terezi shoved the documents back in his face. pulling them out of her grip, gently, he flipped through them. “what is it?”

“doesn’t something smell fishy to you?”

“not...particularly?”

“these documents were forged. you can smell the different ages of the ink. someone faked these papers, forged Karkat’s signature, and hid them in his room.”

“How do you know that’s true?”

Terezi yanked one of the pages out of his hand and gave it another lick. “the ink. there’s too much of it for a regular signature. there are too many blots, too much pressure on the pen, it’s all the signs of a forged signature!” her head whipped up, shark like smile already appearing. “Karkat did not sign this paper, Mr. Cherrycheeks!”

“Please refrain from calling me that as you know I dislike nicknames-”

“we have to tell the court that they have the wrong troll!” with that, she sprinted out of the room, cackling maniacally. Kankri followed, slowly, a little surprised at how fast she had figured that out.

Prospit’s judicial system was surprisingly complicated. the two Seers would confer about the case, reading any and all information that the guards, policemen, and agents found. once they agreed on a decision based on the evidence they received, they reported the verdict to the judge, in this case being Prince Kurloz Makara. this was no exception. Terezi had sprinted into Kurloz’s office, slamming the papers on his desk. “sir!” she practically crowed, “Kankri and I have reached an agreement for this most recent case.” Kankri strode in after her at that moment, panting slightly. he watched as Kurloz’s hands flew, translating the signs. “he says, ‘that’s brilliant. and what is the verdict on our imprisoned brother?’”

“not guilty! he is completely and totally innocent!”

“‘is that so?’”

“of course, sir. I have never been wrong before.”

“Terezi, that is a highly inappropriate thing to say to a superior, you- ‘of course, we shall announce the verdict at the trial.’”

“perfect. justice shall be served.” she grinned evilly, before nodding her head to Kurloz, turning on her heel, and striding out the door, Kankri following after, chastising her on her behavior.

Karkat had been awoken by a harsh light burning through his eyelids. he’d thrown an arm over his eyes, growling in frustration. the barred door was wrenched open, and a guard heaved him up by one arm. his shackles rattled, reminding Karkat exactly what position he was in. he yanked his arm out of the guards grip, and rolled his shoulders. he glared at the guard. the look in his eyes conveyed on simple thought- _touch me again, and I will fucking gut you_. the guard merely sneered at him, grabbed his handcuffs and dragged him forward.

the trial was held in the Council room. both Lords and Muses watched as the prisoner entered the room. he walked forward, flanked by two guards, head held high. as he entered, whispers erupted, fingers pointing. a Muse of Breath leaned into her companion’s ear, finger tapping against her chair as Karkat looked up. ignoring the hisses of disgust and derision, he stood on the central dais, looking forward.

the next hour passed in a blur of him denying his crimes, being questioned in front of everyone in the room, everyone glaring at him like he’d done something wrong oh wait. finally, after deliberating for a sufficient amount of time to piss him off, Prince Kurloz stood from where he’d been patiently listening to the entire trial. in his hands, a scroll read his verdict. his eyes glowed purple, and his chucklevoodoos seemed to slide into people’s minds.

 _like a knife through a throat_ , Karkat thought to himself.

Kurloz’s voice thrummed through the room. _**this document holds the fate of the one standing in front of me right now.** _ he gestured to Karkat. the slight grin that was always present on the Prince’s face seemed to widen, just slightly. ** _and this court finds Karkat Vantas, Knight of Blood, guilty of treason against the crown of Prospit._**

Karkat couldn’t breathe. he couldn’t think. this was impossible. no. no. nonono this had to be wrong. he looked at the two Seers, standing at the edge in their own section. their expressions were serene, almost happy. Karkat felt his numbness flip to betrayal. they were the ones who had convicted him. and they were the ones who were going to _send him to the fucking noose._

he almost didn’t feel the guards hands on him as he was dragged away.

he was allowed one visitor. he asked for Kanaya, first, before being told that she was unavailable, unfortunately. his next choice, and his only choice, was Gamzee. the indigoblooded troll stood in front of him, lanky smile replaced by a look of slight concern. and confusion.

“wait...so... my brother’s been working for Derse?”

“yes. and he framed me to cover his tracks.”

Karkat leaned against the bars. “hey, remember that favor you owe me? I’d love to use it right now.”

“what favor?”

“I saved your life, dumbass. now you can help me save mine. pull some strings, somehow, just get me the fuck outta here.”

Gamzee shrugged. “this motherfucker’s gonna do what he can, Karbro.” he shook his head. “this shit ain’t right. gonna need a miracle or somethin to get you outta here.” his face brightened, and he ran off without another word.

 Gamzee wait no get the fuck back here what- GOGDAMNIT.” Karkat slumed against the bars, facepalming. “that stupid fucking clown.” he mumbled. he laid back, absently rubbing his face, closing his eyes. briefly, he thought of the idea that this was all a dream. that he would wake up in his recuperacoon in the morning, complaining about the dream and yelling at underlings for fucking up. but no. it wasn’t a fucking dream. He was stuck in a prison cell. On death fucking row. And the family he'd served all his life had put him there. and he was fucking innocent.

and the only ally he had left had run off. gog _fucking_ damnit. with a sigh, he closed his eyes and dozed off.

the door wrenched open, and before he could open his eyes, he was hauled up by an arm, wrists cuffed behind him, and dragged out of the cell. he tried standing straight, only for a guard to kick at his legs, sending him flying. The guards laughed as he tried to pick himself up, before they remembered they were escorting him to his execution. They forced him forward, through narrow halls before stopping in a small room. Through the bars on the window, sunlight shone through, reflected by the golden city. Hey, at least he'd have a view as he died. As the door creaked open-too soon, he thought- he was prodded forward, a guard's spear nudging him in the back. He stepped into the open air courtyard. For a second, he froze, looking out a the huge crowd that had appeared. Directly in front of him stood the gallows. A gentle breeze sent the singular noose swaying. Next to it was a small balcony, where the Seers- the ones who oversaw the hangings- and the Royal Families sat. He studied it out of the corner of his eye as he approached the gallows. Apparently, Kurloz hadn't shown up.

Funny, he didn't remember guards being assigned to the Seers.

Karkat glared at the crowd while the executioner approached. The noose was shoved over his head, and hung like a giant necklace. The executioner stepped back, before asking,

"any last words, or requests?"

"Do you think they'd believe me if I claimed my innocence?" "Probably not, sir." "Fine. Nothing. I have nothing to say."

The executioner nodded, and moved to his post- the lever that would send him plummeting. Karkat watched his hands grip the lever, before closing his eyes. He didn't want his last sight to be the wood of the platform. There was a creak as the wooden lever turned, a rattling thump, and the trapdoor underneath his feet opened, sending him plummeting.

Of course, it was just his luck it didn't snap his neck. Now he had to slowly suffocate in front of a shit ton of people.

Apparently, the universe had other ideas. A voice hissed behind him, "psst, best friend. Guess who's here to up and rescue you." Karkat couldn't reply with some shitty sarcastic remark because unfortunately, he was still choking to death. His heart was pounding in his ears, his vision was going dark, and fuck he needed to breathe right now before he passed out and...

Everything went dark for a second. Or maybe like a minute and a half. When Karkat came to, he was propped up in a corner, sickles shoved haphazardly into his strife deck, and Gamzee Makara- Gamzee FUCKING Makara- was taking on about ten guys at once. Or maybe it was only five, his head was still spinning. Anyway, Gamzee was winning. Finally, with a final thunk of a juggling club on someone's skull, Gamzee turned towards Karkat. "What is up my invertebrother?" He asked lazily, like he hadn't taken on a full squad of guards and come out with nary a scratch. Karkat didn't know whether to be thankful to the other troll, or terrified of him.

"Gamzee what the fuck did you just do."

"I went and saved your motherfucking life, bro. Made sure that wicked liquid in your veins kept-a-flowin'. Cut down that fucking rope tied 'round your neck and carried you off. Ran into some other brothers down here, and had to stop them. And now..." He stopped and scratched his head, tilting it as if to think. "Now what the fuck do we do now?" Karkat facepalmed. "Why don't we GET THE FLYING MAGICAL FUCK OUT OF HERE, DUMBASS." Gamzee nodded and grinned at him, grabbing his hand and heaving him up. The two sprinted down hallway after hallway, following the twists and turns. Whatever Blood powers Karkat had were on high alert, looking for Pulses. He was incredibly shitty at it, though- being literally one of two people in all of Prospit to have Blood as their aspect meant he didn't learn that much about it.

And he nearly slammed into a wall. Good job paying attention Karkat, five pointed sticky badge for you.

Gamzee kept dragging on his hand, urging him to move faster. Karkat cursed whatever genetics have him shirt legs, and forged forward, just barely catching up with the taller troll. Finally, Gamzee skidded to a stop in front of an old, rotted door. With a shove, he forced it open, and the two stood together on the edge of Prospit itself.

The two fugitives stared at the forest in front of them. This wasn't just some forest, though. This forest was the border. Once they reached the line of the trees, they would be in a different country. "Gamzee, is this what I think it is? Is this how you're planning to get us out of here?" Gamzee opened his mouth to reply, only to be interrupted by a yell.

"Stop right there!"

Shit. Border guards. Of course Gamzee forgot about them. With a snap, Gamzee slammed his mouth shut, and dragged Karkat forward and into the woods beyond. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thinking up General Cherrycheeks is my greatest achievement shut up.
> 
> also, if you have any questions about the AU or the characters, or anything, just message me or Lauren on our tumblrs. 
> 
> Me: kateitron.tumblr.com  
> Lauren: cryptvokeeper.tumblr.com


	5. On the Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> really shitty running scenes. whyyyyyy.  
> also short chapter is unfortunately short. written by Kate

the forests of Derse were supposedly filled with danger. people spoke of monstrous beasts, of spirits, of the supernatural. legends spoke of powerful witches and other magic users living in them, both benevolent and malevolent. even if one didn't believe in the paranormal, the fierce animals that called these forests their home were certainly a good invitation to stay away.

which was why Karkat was blundering right through it.

normally, entering a land where he’d most likely be culled on sight by most trolls would not be something he’d do. but he was basically out of options. being chased by people you once trusted after _escaping his own fucking execution_ kinda did that. plus, he was being dragged by the most thinkpan-addled troll on the face troll on the face of the planet. a troll who just saved his life, but still.

Karkat abruptly came back to himself, smacking hard into a thick branch as he ran. Past him was an idiot for not paying attention. he stopped, looking around, cursing mentally. he had no idea where he was, and he’d lost Gamzee. the forest was silent. sighing, he forged forward, shoving branches out of the way as he ran. he heard a shout.

“over there! there he is!!”

fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. Karkat froze for a second, like an antlerbeast in a bright light, before sprinting deeper into the forest. as he peered through the trees, he noticed a small light. hopefully, it was someone who would help. or it could be someone who would kill him on sight. he thought, _fuck it,_ _I'll die either way,_ and veered towards it.

and slammed into someone.

he bounced back with a yelp, staring at the figure who'd seemed to appear out of fucking nowhere, and growled out, “get the fuck outta my way.” the figure had a bow pointed at him, an arrow already nocked. he could hear the guards blundering after him. the figure lowered his bow, and asked, “are you alright?” he seemed genuinely concerned, but if he was a Dersite, then he wasn’t to be trusted. Fucking hell, he couldn't trust anyone anyway.

then, of course, there was a blinding pain in his side, and he let out a yell as he sank to his knees. the figure leapt forward, grabbing him by the shoulders. “shit, man, come on, let’s get you out of here.” just as the guards appeared. slowly, Mysterious Figure laid him down. “what’s going on?” he asked the guards. a brutish indigoblood stepped forward. “he has committed crimes against the Prospitian crown and escaped his execution.”

Mysterious Figure seemed to grin. “hey, anyone against the Prospitian crown are friends in my book.” with that, a bow dropped back into his hands, an arrow already on the string. “I’m afraid I’m not gonna let you have him.” the indigoblood nodded, and jerked his head to his friends. almost instantly, several arrows pierced their limbs, and they wheeled back, clutching at the dark green shafts. suddenly, Karkat was being scooped up, and then was moving swiftly through the forest.

his sight was fading in and out, and he nearly blacked out from being jostled around with a _goddamned arrow in his side_. the figure kept mumbling, “you have to stay awake, man, don’t black out yet, we’re nearly there, come on.” the light kept growing bigger, until they finally entered a small clearing. in the center was a small cabin, glowing cheerfully. “like a fucking Twelfth’s Perigee’s Eve card.” Karkat mumbled to himself, and he thought he heard his transport snort at that. the door heaved open before they reached it, displaying a silhouette. “Daniel, what the fuck did you do?” the new person, possibly a girl, snapped. Mysterious Figure, most likely the one named Daniel, gasped out, “he was lost... in the woods. guards... after him... from Prospit. bad guys. got shot.” the girl nodded, and snapped out, “get him inside. I’ll get ready.”

and _that_ was when he blacked out.

 


	6. Months in the Past (but not many)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cliche chapter titles are cliche. also, this is a flashback. it actually won't really be developed more than this.

John was struggling to be quiet. Every few steps, the bucket he was carrying would tilt or sway, sending its contents sloshing to the floor with a splatter. Every so often, he would look down at the battered tin bucket and try to stifle a light laugh. This was going to be so good. carefully, he slipped past a rushing maid, up a flight of steps, before heaving the bucket onto the ledge of the castle wall. he peered over the wall, looking for the patrol he knew would be marching past at this time. most wouldn’t spend so much time working on a simple prank, but John put his absolute most effort into every trick. it was worth watching people flip.

carefully, he started to tip the bucket forward, before a voice snapped out,

“what the _hell_ do you think you’re doing, Egbert?”

John lumped, startled, the bucket slipping from his fingers. he scrabbled at the scuffed surface, before a breeze smacked him the face. the bucket skidded slightly, buffeted by the wind, before settling. John spun, coming face to face with Lauren Aeolus.

despite John being at least a few inches taller than her, the Muse was imposing, eyebrow raised, arms crossed, waiting for an answer.

“umm,” John stuttered out.

“you were about to dump that on Sir Vantas, weren’t you.”

fuck.

Lauren seemed to take that in, before a devilish grin crossed her face. “need any help?” she asked, tugging the circlet from her hair and twirling it. John’s bucktoothed grin matched her own, before he glanced over his shoulder and the ledge. oh, great, they’d moved on. suddenly, he felt a hand grab his hood, and he stumbled backwards, yelling, “Ack, god, Lauren, let go!”

\-------

five minutes later, a small platoon of guards were ambushed by several bucketfuls of slime, water, and other liquids. a voice raged, “WHAT IN THE NAME OF SWEET GLOBE TICKLING FUCK! JOHN EGBERT YOU HIDEOUS EXCUSE OF A CHUNK OF PHLEGM, I WILL FUCKING RIP YOUR HEAD OFF.” above him, two Breath students fist bumped and cackled, watching the cacophony below.

\-------

After parting with Lauren, promising her that he'd meet her at lessons, later, John sprinted down the corridor, rifling through his pockets for the thin diadem he was supposed to wear to important meetings such as the one he was currently late to. Turning the last corner, he skidded, slammed into a wall, and entered the throne room in one long slide. As he slowed, the tall boy hastily adjusted his hood, and tried to stand straight.

Everyone stared at him. Finally, his father cleared his throat and said something about him sitting down. As he sat, he noticed his sister, Jane, sitting on the other side of their father. Strange, she usually never came to the meetings. Usually, she was busy either helping out in the kitchens or running the bakery with their dad. Why would she-

"Uh, sir?" John's head whipped forward, realising he was being called by someone. His face flushed as he realised they'd been talking about him the whole time, without him paying attention. "Oh, uh, sorry. Lost my train of thought. What was it?"

The White Queen stood up. Carefully, her fingers skated across a tablet, and words appeared next to her in glowing white.

_The court and I have been discussing sending an ambassador to one of the southern territories, and after debating, we decided that you would be a good choice to embark on this quest._

John spluttered. Leave Prospit!? On his own? Sure, it was an honor, but the last time he'd left was when he was only an infant. Plus, he had things to do!

Still, the idea seemed exciting. Being an ambassador, traveling, seeing new things. He leaned forward. "How long would I be gone? And where am I going?"

_If you choose to accept, you would be traveling to the land of Winsade, south of Prospit's border. As for the length of time, it depends on how...cooperative they are. But no longer than a few months._

A few months?! John was half tempted to decline. His dad gave him a look, and he remembered what he'd been taught as a child- that his country came before himself. He nodded. "I accept. When do I leave?"

\-------

Lauren slumped into one of the soft chairs in her apartment, rubbing her forehead. Sometimes, she wondered what twist of fate landed her here. She didn't regret becoming a Muse, but oftentimes she felt trapped by her duties. She had to assist Lords, help at Calliope's Temple, make important decisions daily, and field hundreds of questions from Breath students (because apparently being a Muse meant to them that she had the answer to every problem regarding The Great Breeze). She despised being told what to do, and it felt more and more common nowadays. l

Especially on days she had to help the other Breath wielders, and half of the time was blown into a wall. Both John and Tavros, a page who wielded Breath as well, usually could help, but the job often fell to her to teach. She sighed loudly, causing papers throughout the room to flutter.

There was a knock at the door. Lauren sprang up, heaving the door open and coming face to face with Kathryn.

Kathryn was another friend of hers. A year older and an inch taller, the young woman was a maid and wielded of Light. She also worked in the postal service, running messages wherever and whenever.

She was also one of the few people Lauren trusted with her letters to Kate. Even after Kate had finished her training and gone home to Derse, the two kept in touch, Kate sneaking in the city every so often to hang out. Lauren grinned as she reached for the letter in Kathryn’s outstretched hand, but the look in Kathryn’s eyes stopped her. “what’s wrong?” Lauren asked. Kathryn shrugged. “Kate handed this to me and said it was urgent, and that I had to get it to you as fast as possible. I don’t know what it’s even about.” she glanced at the stain of sunlight on the floor, and gasped. “oh, god, I have to go! I’ll see you later, Lauren!” with that, she sprinted down the hall. Lauren watched her weave through servants before tugging the door shut and sitting back down. carefully, she unstuck the seal and unfolded the letter.

_Dear Lauren,_

_oh my god, I have no idea what I’m doing. but I just have to tell you, something big is going down in Derse. something that affects both kingdoms. I can’t tell you exactly what’s wrong here, this could get mixed up or lost, and I have no intention of letting this fall into the wrong hands. speaking of hands, mine are actually shaking right now. holy fucking shit I’m nervous. I’m just legitimately freaking out right now, and I need to tell you this information. it is really, really important._

_just- fuck. meet me at the Sprite’s Kernel, okay? Friday, three o’ clock. I need to tell you this shit._

_-Kate_

Lauren stared at the letter, vaguely surprised. that seemed... unusually freaked out. Kate was overdramatic and often slightly hyper, but she wouldn’t act like this. she sounded... terrified.

tucking the letter into her pocket, she stared out the window, mind racing. faintly, she could see storm could in the distance. she hoped Kate wouldn’t be caught in it.

but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was worryingly wrong.


	7. Healings and Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which a patient awakens and epithets are used.

Karkat did not want to wake up. his entire body felt as if someone had just shoved his body off a cliff, and he immediately recognised it as the healing from a Sylph. did this mean he was still in Prospit? because if so, he was probably totally fucked. no, scratch that. he was totally fucked.

he forced his eyes open, and his first, oh-so-brilliant thought was, this is not Castle Prospit. the room was small, and clean, the walls painted a simple white. A table was shoved against the wall, scattered with jars, bowls, and metal tools. Herbs hung from hooks on the walls. a small fireplace sat in the corner, a pot hanging over a crackling fire. sunlight slanted through a closed window, nearly blinding him. he squinted at his chest, currently hidden by his blankets. no notable bloodstains, which was good. as he propped himself on his elbows, he could hear voices in a room. he blinked, scrubbing at his eyes again. goddamn all that light. and whoever was arguing, he quietly wished whoever it was would shut the fuck up. faintly, if he focused, he could listen to the conversation.

“goddamnit, we are not interrogating him! he’s injured and-”

“he’s Prospitian!. this could be our chance to-”

“to do what, exactly?”

Karkat shifted, and the platform underneath him creaked. the two voice fell silent, before one hissed, “you fucker.” footsteps sounded, and a door slammed.

a human female walked through the doorway, fists clenched.

she seemed around his height, and sturdily built. thick glasses were perched on her nose, and long, loose hair the color of cinnamon hung in her eyes. her clothes were rough, simple pants and shirt in dark gray. when she caught sight of him, she relaxed.

“oh, good,” she said. “you’re awake.”

Karkat glared at her. “mind telling me where the fuck I am?” he hissed. the girl shrugged. “you’re here. in my home. that answer your question?”

“are you serious.”

“nope, I’m Kate. pleased to meet you while you aren’t bleeding out on my workbench.”

he stared at her, confused and furious, before starting to sit up. his side protested, and he let out a hiss of pain. instantly, Kate was at his side, trying to help. he shrugged her off. “i’m a goddamn Knight of Prospit, I don’t need your help.” he snapped at her, and she narrowed her eyes. “that’s wonderful.” she said sarcastically, “but you’re still my patient, and I need to make sure you’re not about to fucking die on me.” Before he could protest any more, she pressed on his shoulder, forcing him back onto the bed. "Besides," she continued, "I've been meaning to check on your wound. Now sit still before I'm forced to knock you out."

She stood up, rifling through things on the table. She came back, shaking a small bottle. "Here." She said, handing him it. "That'll numb the pain." He uncorked the bottle and tilted his head back as soon as the bluish liquid touched his tongue, he spat, gagging. Kate grabbed the bottle, studied it for a moment, before moving back to the table. the handed him another one, this one a deep green. as he drank again, the sweet, cloying taste of the liquid seemed to fill his body. Kate helped him lean forward slightly, fingers pressing. “can you feel that?” she asked, and he shook his head sluggishly. carefully, she unwrapped the bandages, and he noticed splotches of bright crimson on the white.

one part of his mind thought that was worrying.

Kate pressed him back into the cushions, mumbling something about wounds and closing his eyes, and he obeyed, eyelids sliding shut.

he hoped he wouldn’t be bothered for a while.

\------

Kate checked to make sure her patient was asleep before rushing to get her things. she grabbed a rag off of her workbench, reaching into the pot of boiling water that kept her tools sanitized. carefully, she pulled out tweezers, clamps, and a small bottle, placing them on a table. she grabbed a bottle of clear solution, poured, and scrubbed her hands, drying them on a rag. hesitantly, she gripped the tweezers, and closed her eyes, feeling around with the Pulse. the dark spots on her vision stood out against the bright red blood, and she let out a breath.

the most stressful part of Kate’s day- picking out shards of arrow after her brother had snapped off the shaft- began

\------

When Karkat opened his eyes again, the girl had vanished, and someone else stood at the doorway. the new figure was tall and lanky, with curly hair hanging in his eyes, one eyebrow quirked. he looked...vaguely familiar, in a way.

“like the view?” Karkat snarled, and the boy’s eyebrow just went higher. “just making sure you don’t do something stupid.” the figure replied. Karkat merely stared at him. “So, you got a name?” the boy asked, and Karkat shrugged. “Karkat. Vantas.”

this got a reaction from the boy. he took a step back, stumbling off the doorway, before leaning forward. before he could do anything else, there was a pounding at the door.

“Prospitian Guard! Open up!” a voice called. both of them froze, but there was the light thud of footsteps and the door opening. the two could easily hear Kate’s conversation with the guard.

“afternoon, sirs. would you mind explaining what you’re doing on my doorstep?”

“evening, ma’am. we have evidence to believe that there may be a fugitive and a thief on your property.”

The boy went pale at the mention of thief.

“ohhhkayyy, well, I’ll be sure to inform my patients that they’re wanted.”

“Ma’am, we’re really supposed to take them now, as we have a warrant for-”

“well, there’s a slight problem with that. two, actually.”

“I don’t think that-”

“for one, I am a Sylph, and I swore an oath that if someone is injured or in need of my help, no matter what, I will assist them in some way. my patients-which you have flagrantly accused of both theft and fugitivity- are still under my care and will remain so until they are in full health. furthermore-you stated you were from Prospit, correct?”

“uh, yes I don’t see how that is-”

“relevant? well, the law states that any armed Prospitians seen in Derse or speaking with someone in Derse without explicit permission from the Dersite royals is grounds for both imprisonment and execution. clearly, you have not been given this permission, and if anyone sees you here, your presence could be seen as a celaration of war. but I’m nice, and I won’t report you. So I shall say this politely: please remove yourself from my property before I have to remove your flesh from your bones.”

“ex-excuse me?! you can’t speak to me like that, you little-”

“I can and I will. so fuck off before I make good on my threat.” there was the ping of a strife card opening, and a voice said, “understood. good day, ma’am.”

“likewise.” the door slammed shut, and approaching footsteps sounded, bringing Kate into the doorway. the boy looked at her. “fugitivity?” he asked, and Kate glared back. “the fuck did you steal this time?” she snarled. the boy held up his hands. “Nothing!” he said, and she crossed her arms, shooting him a dark glare. “okay, nothing I didn’t put back. just a crown or two.” he said quickly. Karkat’s eyes widened. “you utter shithead, you started this whole mess!” he growled out. the boy jumped, and turned towards him. “wait, what do you mean?” he asked.

“you stole the royal crowns of prospit!”

“you did WHAT?!” Kate practically shrieked.

The boy held up his hands. "I wasn't planning on keeping them! God, cut me a little slack."

Kate had started gesticulating at the taller boy, too infuriated-or amused-to speak. When she finally choked out a singular "you motherfucker."  
Karkat sat up, and winced in pain. Kate turned to him, anger morphing into concern. "Are you alright? I'm pretty sure I got everything out. Daniel snapped the shaft just after you passed out, and I managed to get the head out without injuring you further. Unfortunately, there'd been splinters of the shaft still in the wound, but I got those out. Now you can start healing and everything." She rubbed her face, sighing. "So, I don't think I've introduced myself formally. I'm Kate, Kate Therak. This lanky asshole is my brother, Daniel." Daniel gave him a nod. Kate crossed her arms nervously. "I guess I'll just leave you to heal." She glanced at her brother. "Don't kill each other. I have shit to do." With that, she ran out of the room.  
The two stared at each other. Dan shifted slightly. "Okay, before you say anything, none of this is my fault. And the revolution is all Kate's idea." He mumbled, running a hand through his hair. Karkat stared at him. " _What_ revolution?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE  
> I also apologise about the short chapter, I wanted a way to write this without it sounding A: horrible, B: cliche'd, and C: shippy, and no way came. I also had no idea how healy shit was gonna work. 
> 
> also, the Pulse: that's my own headcanon thing. it's basically The Bloody Thing (like how Breath players have The Windy Thing), and all blood players can sense the heartbeat of other living things and control blood and shit. really just message me if you want to know more. 
> 
> EDIT: I will edit this mor, as I have already done, but it's nearly two in the morning for me right now so.


	8. The War Rings, The Red Miles, and Other Mythical Jewelry of Importance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I didn't have the next section prepared, but I had this, so I decided to post it. I AM working on stuff, don't worry. If you actually care at all, I mean. 
> 
> I never actually found a good point to post this bit so here.

The War Rings, The Red Miles, and Other Mythical Jewelry of Importance- page 413

_There are four important rings that play a part in the shared history of Prospit and Derse. these rings are known as the War Rings, The Ring of Void, and The Ring of Life. all four rings carry supernatural abilities._

_The War Rings (also known as the Four Orbed Rings, due to the four pearlescent orbs spaced equally around the circumference) are twins in both ability and shape. In times of war, the Carapician Queens of both kingdoms will use them in battle. their use in battle supposedly shape-shifts the wearer. Although no known texts describing the form after donning the ring, some myths claim of a great winged beast, others of a figure with a dog head, still others claiming that it has a sword plunged into its chest, able to be wielded at any moment. some historians claim that the form may be a combination of all three. their location is kept secret from both populations. only a Carapician, most often a Queen, can wear The War Rings and be transformed. these are used in conjunction with the much less powerful War Staffs, wielded by the Carapician Kings. (more information on the War Staffs on page 1025)_

_The other two are known as the Ring of Life and the Ring of Void. these two rings can be wielded by any who can control the Aspects. unlike the Four Orbed Rings, these have no ornamentation, appearing as two simple bands of gold. these simple appearances, however, disguise Jewelry of unimaginable power._

_The Ring of Life can bring the dead back to life, and renders the wearer invincible to physical harm. supposedly, it can also bring long-dead ghosts back. however, it does not protect from destroying classes that are coupled with the Heart Aspect, such as Prince or Bard. it is most powerful when used in conjunction with a student of Life._

_The Ring of Void has two distinct uses, unlike the Ring of Life. the Ring of Void can turn any person invisible, and Void students can use this ring to pass through walls as well. the Ring also carries an attack known as The Red Miles. (more information on The Red Miles on page 612)_

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_The Red Miles is a powerful attack most often used in times of war. at one point in history, it was associated with the War Rings (see page 413) but was supposedly removed after both Prospit and Derse were razed in a battle. The Red Miles is, in its most simple definition, is miles of blood, used to destroy or manipulate, depending on the activeness or passivity of the class wielding it._

_it is used almost exclusively by those who have studied the Blood Aspect for several years. unlike other abilities gifted by the Rings of Void and Life (see page 413), this cannot be used by anyone not of the Blood Aspect._


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